Decorative ribbon bow



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1954.

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Sept. 18, 1956 A. F. WELCH 2,763,00

DECORATIVE RIBBON BOW 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1954 Illllllllllllillfl HIIIHIIINII d DECORATIVE RIBBON BOW' Anita F. Welch, Wellesley, Mass, assignor of one-half to John F. Welch, Wellesley, Mass.

Application March 9, '1954, Serial No. 415,017

2 Claims. ((11. 41-10) This invention relates to a decorative bow or device formed of loops of ribbon for decorating gift packages and the like, and a method of making the how.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the problems inherent in packaging and handling for sale a prefabricated fancy loop-ed ribbon bow of the type used to decorate fancy wrapped gift packages. The most decorative type of bow is fluffed up in a plurality of ribbon loops having a generally round wheel-shaped base formed of a bank of loops and which is overlaid by one or more banks of superimposed loops forming a rounded flower-like arrangement having considerable thickness and bulk. While such a flufied-up arrangement of loops is highly decorative it is extremely fragile and subject to crushing and creasing in packaging and handling which spoils its appearance. My inven- Patented Sept. 1-18, 1956 "ice of forming the bow of the invention with the aid of a mechanism of the type shown and described inmy Patent No. 2,542,222, or some other suitable device. Such a mechanism may comprise a pair of adj'ustably spaced loop-forming arms 12, which in that particular mechanism are horizontally supported, and a vertical pin tion provides a prefabricated arrangement of loops which is relatively thin and flat and therefore can be packaged and sold in an envelope and will not crush or become creased under ordinary conditions of handling and yet which immediately upon application as a-decorative device on a gift package can be flufled up into a highly decorative and fragile device.

Generally speaking, my invention provides a decorative device which, in the form for most convenient handling and having the greatest structural strength, comprises a wheel-like shape of radially arranged multiple ribbon loops, each having a plurality of layers telescoped one within the other, thereby forming a wheel of loops in which the loops lie flat so that the wheel has the thickness of the width of the ribbon and in which the multiple structure of each loop provides a strong structure which will not crush when the wheel is packed in an envelope and laid flat. At the last moment prior to use on a package, the inside telescoped layers of each loop are withdrawn upwardly from the outside layers and turned inside out, which causes them to present a flufled up and decorative flower-like arrangement as a whole.

My decorative bow will be best understood by following the description of the method of forming it in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the finished article after it has been fluffed up;

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the first step in the manufacture of the device;

Fig. 3 is a front view of subsequent steps;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of still further steps;

Figs. 5 to 8 show further progress of the process of manufacture in successive steps; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are partial detailed perspective views showing the last steps of fluffing up the telescoped loops to complete the device.

The finished device shown in Fig. 1 comprises a bank of loops arranged in a wheel-like shape, indicated at 1! and on which is superimposed one or more banks of flutled up loops, indicated at 11, causing it to have a well rounded out flower-like shape.

Referring to Figs. 2-4, I may perform the first steps or spike 14 equidistant between the arms 12. V

I first impale upon the pin 14 a piece of binding ribbon 15, which may be doubled as shown. This may be of a convenient length as determined by considerations to be described.

I provide a supply of at least two rolls of ribbons 16 and 17 to supply two ribbons 20 and 21, respectively, which I then converge together by placing them back to back. This may be conveniently done by inserting them through a narrow slot in a ribbon threading plate, shown at 23.

I then flake the converged ribbons, handling them as one ribbon, back and forth, commencing as shown in. Fig. 2, to form superimposed flakes having loops 26 and 27 at opposite ends of the flakes. On the mechanism of Patent No. 2,542,222, I start this operation by impaling the converged ends 29 upon the pin l4.v I then pass the converged ribbon under the right-hand arm 12, then around and over it and across the pin 14' upon which I impale the center of the first flake. I continue under the left-hand arm 12 and back over and again onto the pin 14. In forming the next right-hand loop, I first cast off the previously formed right-hand loop 26 from the arm 12, as indicated by the arrow 32, after which. I continue under the right-hand arm 26 with the righthand loop, and then back over the pin. "Io form the next left-hand loop, I first cast off the previous lefohand loop 27, as indicated by the arrow 33', and continue under the left-hand arm 12 and then back over; and I. repeat the process until I have formed an arrangement of superimposed flakes of converged ribbon having super.- imposed loops 26 and 27 at the ends, as seenin Fig. 3. As the flakes of ribbon are built up, they are each successively superimposed and impaled upon the pin 14 and they may also be held between vertical guide posts 35 after they have been cast off the arms 12. It will be seen that each of the loops 26 and'27 is a doubled loop, the loop 26 having an outside layerformed by the rib-j bon 20 and an inside layer formed by the ribbon 21, and the loops 27 having an outside layer formed by the ribbon 21 and an inside layer formed by the ribbon '26. Ilrave found that a total of eight loops 26 and seven loops 27 is a convenient number of loops for forming a good decorative bow and at the same time beingmos't conservative of material. More or less loops may be formed as desired.

After the flaked arrangement of Fig. 3 has been formed, the converged ribbons are cut approximately at the point indicated by 36, about one inch from the pin 14, and then one end of the binding ribbon 15 is brought over, as indicated by dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 4, to engage the other end of said binding ribbon to form a knot 37, seen in Fig. 5, on the side of the flaked arrangement, which is drawn up tightly to form a nip 4 at the center of the flaked arrangement, causing it to appear as in Fig. 5. The flaked ribbon arrangement is best first removed from the pin and held together in some convenient manner while the binding ribbon 15 is brought over and tied in the first knot.

Thereafter the flaked arrangement is turned upside down and the loops 26 and 27 at the opposite ends are separated approximately in half, as shown in Fig. 6, to form a second nip 40 around which is brought the end of the binding strip 15 which is tied together in another knot 38 on the opposite side from the knot 37, thus binding the flaked loop arrangement in two directions, and

causing the groups of loops to stand somewhat away from each other and approximating the circular arrangement of Fig. 6. The loop may then be manipulated into a still more symmetrical and wheel-shaped arrangement, as shown in Fig. 7. In this form the device of the invention is now ready for handling and shipment. Seen edgewise, as seen in Fig. 8, its thickness is determined by the width of the ribbon. It has the binding knot 37 on one side and the second binding knot 38 on the other with enough length of the binding strip left over to be used for tying the device to a package and the like.

The device in the form seen in Figs. 7 and 8 can be packaged in an envelope and because of the doubling of each of the loops has the ability to withstand a good deal of crushing eifect and also to recover its shape when temporarily crushed. In this form it may also be immediately stored and shipped and also tied on to a package which is to be transported prior to its final display.

Referring now to Figs. 9 and 10, when the decorative device is ready to be displayed, it is from the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8 fiuifed up into the final form shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 9 shows one of the doubled loops 26 or 27 of the device shown in Fig. 7, having an outside loop 41 and an inside loop 42 telescoped within and lying inside the loop 41. Most conveniently the loop is grasped on the outside by the thumb of the operator and on the inside by the index finger and the inside loop 42 withdrawn from the outside loop, as indicated by the arrow 43 in Fig. 9. After being so withdrawn, the inside loop is then turned inside out by turning the top edge down and inside the loop, as indicated by the arrow 44, and by turning the bottom edge up and outside the loop, as indicated by the arrow 43, so that what was at first the inside of the inside loop 42 is now the outside of the inside loop 42. This gives all of the inside loops 42 an upwardly distorted permanent cast so that they remain in an upward position, as seen in Fig. 1, forming at least one additional bank of loops on top of the first bank of loops formed by the outside loops 41.

When ribbon is used of the type having a brightly finished face and a dull face, the two dull faced faces are placedtogether when the ribbon and 21 is consents a fragile flower-like decoration of delicacy and beauty.

It is also seen that such a complicated decorative device is formed with an economy of material and steps according to my invention which gives it many desirable advantages.

It is also to be noted that a more complicated arrangement of loops can be formed by using three or more converged ribbons to form loops of multiple structure,

said loops being secured together at the center of the verged, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, so that in the device in v the form shown in Fig. 7 the outside of the outside loop 41 and the inside of the inside loop has a bright finish. When, however, the inside loops 42 are turned inside out, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, all of the loops present a bright or highly finished appearance to the outside.

'It will thus be seen that I have provided a novel, decorative, loop-type of bow of which each loop is formed of multiple parts conveniently telescoped inside each other to form a reasonably flat structure which is capable of withstanding heavy handling, but when fiufied up pre- I how, each of said loops comprising an outside layer of ribbon and at least one inside layer of ribbon lying closely telescoped together one inside the other, the inside layers of the loops each being arranged to be withdrawn from its respective outside layer and turned inside out thereby forming at least one additional bank of loops in a fluffed up arrangement on top of the bank of outside layers of loops.

2. Method of forming a decorative ribbon bow in a plurality of radially arranged multiple ribbon loops which comprises the steps of converging at least two ribbons back to back, flaking the converged ribbon back and forth upon itself several times thereby forming an arrangement of flakes of ribbon which has a plurality of superimposed multiple loops at each end each of which loops has an outside and at least one inside layer, binding the center of the flaked arrangement together in a first nip, separating the loops of the opposite ends of the flaked arrangement approximately in half thereby forming a second nip, binding the second nip and then arranging the multiple loops in a wheel-like shape in which the inside layers are capable of being withdrawn from the respective outside layers and turned inside out thereby causing the withdrawn layers to lie in at least one additional bank of flufi'ed up loops on top of the bank of outside loop layers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,335,053 Gluck Nov. 23, 1943 2,542,222 Welch Feb. 20, 1951 2,563,678 Gates Aug. 7, 1951 2,587,502 McMahon Feb. 26, 1952 

